As technology scales, transistor performance has not improved accordingly. In order to increase transistor performance, various processes have been implemented to apply stress to the channel region to enhance carrier mobility. One method for PMOS transistors is to remove silicon from the source and drain regions and replace it with epitaxially grown silicon germanium, SiGe. Germanium is a larger atom than silicon so compressive stress is applied to the PMOS channel region. Also, compressive overlayers are deposited over PMOS transistors to apply stress to the channel region resulting in enhanced hole mobility. For NMOS transistors, silicon is removed from the source and drain regions and replaced with epitaxially grown silicon carbide, SiC. Carbon is a smaller atom than silicon so tensile tress is applied to the NMOS channel region. Tensile overlayers also are deposited on NMOS transistors to apply stress to the channel region resulting in enhanced electron mobility. A method to enhance the effectiveness of transmitting stress to the channel region to improve carrier mobility is therefore, desirable.